AC/DC’s Black Ice Goes Platinum, Remains at #1

Turning back the challenge of 11 new entries in the top 20, AC/DC’s “Black Ice” (Columbia) begins a second week at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 after selling 271,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

“Black Ice,” which is exclusively available via Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and AC/DC’s Web site, was down 65% over its debut total. The album has sold more than 1 million units in two weeks.

Pink scores her best chart placement ever and best sales week in seven years as “Funhouse” bows at No. 2 with 180,000. The 2001 album “Missundaztood” rang up 220,000 when it debuted at No. 8, and later sold 323,000 copies in one week around Christmas. Pink’s previous effort, “I’m Not Dead,” started at No. 6 with 126,000 in 2006.

The soundtrack to Disney’s “High School Musical 3” slips a notch 2-3 in its second week on the chart with 162,000 (-45%). Entering at No. 4 is John Legend’s third album, “Evolver” (Columbia), which sold 133,000. Its predecessor, “Once Again,” started at No. 3 in 2006 with 231,000.

A pair of superstar country acts start side by side on the big chart, with Toby Keith’s “That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy” (Show Dog Nashville) bowing at No. 5 with 91,000 and Rascal Flatts’ first greatest hits set from Lyric Street Records entering at No. 6 with 89,000. Keith’s 2007 album “Big Dog Daddy” debuted at No. 1.

On an 18% sales slip, T.I.’s Grand Hustle/Atlantic album “Paper Trail” falls 3-7 to 77,000. Another hits album, Celine Dion’s “My Love: Essential Collection” (Sony) starts at No. 8 with 57,000. Dion’s last proper hits package, “All The Wa y… A Decade of Song,” bowed at No. 3 in late 1999 with 302,000 before eventually spending three weeks at No. 1.

Snow Patrol notches its highest charting album as “A Hundred Million Suns” (Fiction/Polydor) debuts at No. 9 with 48,000. The Scottish/Irish rock band’s previous best came with 2006’s “Eyes Open,” which peaked at No. 27 and went on to sell 1.16 million copies. Digital downloads accounted for 52% of the new set’s first week sum, no doubt aided by a $3.99 sale price via Amazon’s download store.

With a 53% dip, Kenny Chesney’s “Lucky Old Sun” drops 4-10 with 41,000. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals’ “Cardinology” lands at No. 11 with 40,000. The prolific songwriter’s last studio album, 2007’s “Easy Tiger,” began at No. 7 with 61,000.

The Cure earns its 18th charting album on The Billboard 200 as “4:13 Dream” (Suretone/Geffen) opens at No. 16 with 24,000. The veteran band’s last release, a 2004’s self-titled set, entered at No. 7 with 91,000.

Lady GaGa’s debut Streamline/Interscope album, “The Fame,” bows at No. 17 with 24,000. The set’s first single, “Just Dance,” debuts on the Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart this week at No. 34, after peaking at No. 2 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in June.

The CD version of Bloc Party’s “Intimacy” (Atlantic) debuts at No. 18 with 24,000; a different digital version was sold via the band’s Web site over the summer. Bloc Party’s last album, 2007’s “A Weekend in the City,” debuted and peaked at No. 12 with 48,000.

Christian singer Michael W. Smith’s live album “A New Hallelujah” debuts at No. 19 with 23,000. His best charting album came with 2004’s “Healing Rain” at No. 11.

Album sales this week came in at 6.96 million units, down 1.7% from last issue’s charts and down 25% from same week last year.

HRH Comment: Black Ice is AC/DC’s 17th Platinum Album (over 1 million units sold). It is a good day for hard rock when AC/DC beats out High School Musical!